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Sunday, April 3, 2016

On day 2 at Nagapattinam our plan was to drive past Vedaranyam to Point Calimere - a bird sanctuary as well as wild life sanctuary.Unfortunately no birds could be sighted.We were informed by locals that the birds had all flown of during early January owing to some cyclonic disturbance of their habitat. Disappointed we turned towards the Kodikkarai wild life sanctuary. We bought entry ticket for the car and were informed that we could drive 6 kms into the sanctuary, see wild animals en`route and finally reach the sea shore and see the remains of the historic Chola lighthouse, destroyed in the tsunami of 2004. .But after driving for about a kilometre we were forced to turn back as the road was badly damaged and I ran the risk of a tire puncture.On our return journey we stopped briefly at Vedaranyam to click pictures of the salt pans.The Vedaranyam March or Vedaranyam Satyagraha was organised to protest the salt tax imposed by theBritish Raj in in India. The march took place in April 1930 and was the second of its kind following the Dandi March organised by Mahatma Gandhi both in the framework of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The march was led by a group of 100 volunteers from the Indian National Congress under the leadership of C.Rajagopalachari often referred to as "Rajaji". It began at Tiruchirappalli and ended in Vedaranyam a small coastal town in Thanjavur district. Rajaji later went on to become the first Indian Governor General of Independent India.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

After Pichavaram Mangroves & Tranquebar we reached Nagapattinam around 3.30 noon and checked into the magnificent State Circuit House there as guests of the Nagapattinam Collector.We were the sole occupants that night and were given an exclusive air-conditioned suite. We visited Tirunallar & Sikkal in the evening. Tirunallar is one of the important Navagraha Sthalas and is located in Karaikal which is a territory of Pondicherry. Here are some beautiful pictures clicked during visit to Sikkal Murugan Temple Nagapattinam.

The Circuit House at Nagapattinam

The Temple Teertham or Holy Water Tank at Sikkal

Saw some adorable little lambs prancing around the temple campus at Sikkal

Friday, April 1, 2016

From Pichavaram Mangroves we visited Chdambaram township and worshipped at the famous Nataraja Temple. After spending close to 90 minutes there we had lunch at "Saradarams" and proceeded towards the quaint and ancient villae of Tranquebar or Tharagampadi as it is know to locals. It was an ancient Danish settlement.
The allure of Tranquebar is a wonderful yet seamless cultural
concoction that has been brewing over hundreds of years - a beautiful
mix of languages, cultures, races and religions. Two centuries of Danish
heritage has left important cultural and architectural imprints which
can be seen in colonial houses, churches, cemeteries, and most
particularly, the Dansborg military fort.
Tranquebar was gravely affected by the devastation caused by the
Tsunami in 2004. Private organisations and the government came together
for restoration, developmental and social revival, and today this demure
town is in the spotlight again.

The renovated Danish Fort which was severely damaged during the Tsunami of 2004. The fort also houses a museum and the jail where criminals and offenders were kept captive.